Featured comment:

Wow!! A big congratulations to Alex and his wife Katherine. Elizabeth is beautiful!

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:31PM

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So what have we learned today:

* that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or dinner) with a polli;

* that Julie Bishop loves the idea of female empowerment generally, so long as it overseas. At home its more limited - to her;

*any polli in rugby shorts is one too man; and.

* that this budget emergency will never end.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 6:08PM

So what have we learned to day?

That Abbott cut himself shaving with a hole in his pocket.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:43PM

How can the PM continue to claim he is not cutting pensions? They go up twice every year ... the only difference is that, from September 2017, they will be indexed by the same rate that the member for Jagajaga herself, as Minister for family services, thought was fair and reasonable for the family tax benefit.“So a reduction is not cut?”

“I did not say that.”

“So you are cutting pensions then?”

“No, there are no cuts.”

“Excuse me but a reduction is a cut.”

No a cut is cut and a reduction is a…”

Cut?

“A decrease.”

So now you are claiming that a cut is not a reduction but a decrease and decrease is not cut.

“Err, well a cut is not a decrease.”

So, to reduce in amount does not mean to cut costs?

Err, has anyone seen Peta?

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:29PM

Pen, he's sending out 2.5 M letters to tell pensioners what a great guy he is. losing their vote = losing his Govt.Yee-haw

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:39PM

So, what did we learn today?That we have the first trigger- of many to come, for a much desired DD.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:25PM

Did you check out the poll in the Age today!

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:31PM

SURE DID!

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:42PM

Good. And yes that should be a question mark not an exclamation mark. But we're tiring now. Politics eh!

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:53PM

John Hogg's statement that "we as parliamentarians need to have a vision as to how this parliament will unfold into the future to meet the demands of an ever-changing democracy" is unlikely to happen while there are so many backward-looking parliamentarians in parliament.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:19PM

Thanks John Hogg for your service as Speaker, you have always appeared fair and considered.Shame someone else couldn't take a leaf out of your book.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:10PM

Hacka

All we get from you is waffle: plastic bags, fuel excise and god knows what else misc. drivel. Look all you have to do is explain how the carbon tax can send the economy into a tail spin at the cost of 70 cents per day per person. I am not asking you for anything more difficult than this, after all you have cursed the CT since it first came into being, but without an iota of explanation as to why. If you do not explain it the people here will think you are a travesty of the blogosphere, Hacka.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:01PM

Pen - i don't know how you've come up with this 70 cent number you keep rolling out, but if you think the economic damage the CT causes is limited to government expenditure on it, you clearly don't understand how it operates.

It's cost jobs (Alcoa, Qantas, Holden), it's reduced our standard of living and it's made us less competitive in our international trading markets.

An own goal quite unnecessary and staggering, and it doesn't even work. Looks like you better do some more googling on it.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:25PM

Stop squirming Hacka, all of the companies that you cite categorically denied that the C.T was the cause of their problems. Qantas actually support a cost on carbon and is actually documented Qantas policy.

So I ask you again how does the carbon price cause the economy to spin out of control. Please don't make a fool of yourself again, its embarrassing.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:36PM

Nice one, Hacka. Let's see:

1. Alcoa - a 50 year old smelter due to close anyway.2. Qantas - said the CT was not a factor. Then under govt pressure, released another statement saying it might have been after all.3. Holden also clearly stated that the CT was not behind their decision (which was obvious).

We've had strong growth and low unemployment throughout the period of the CT. Emissions have fallen by 7% in areas covered by the CT. If anything, we should broaden the tax so it also limits reduction in the areas of rising emissions like transport and fugitive emissions from gas and coal operations, which undid the emissions reductions resulting from the CT.

Commenter

Dags

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:43PM

@pen - don't expect a factual response from Hacka. All he does is misrepresent facts to suit the spin he has been told to peddle that day. His response is a great example of thyat as you have pointed out - thise companies he quoted denied the CT was responsible for the job losses which were caused by the abbot withholding of support to them. Now that withholding of support while cutting jobs may well have been the right thing to do but Hacka can't try and weasel the spin by saying it was the CT that did it. What about the jobs growth in the alternative energy industries it helped create? Hacka never mentions those does he.

Commenter

Lance

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:45PM

Pen -the day after announcing the shut down, the Toyota MD Yasada cited the carbon tax as a reason. Why, Yasada even predicted it as Katharine Murphy explains:

As Shorten referred to in QT, Abbott a few months ago stated that workers losing their jobs would be "liberated to seek new opportunities."

Does anyone else see a parallel of that form of words with another offensive and cynical similar formulation from the past?

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:04PM

I guess they could sign on to wait on the Great and Good attending the Midwinter Ball - no doubt for min wage or less

Commenter

ashamed of oz

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:47PM

Hint - I was thinking of a something German, mid Century, in wrought iron, on a gate, leading into one of the most notorious places in modern times.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:14PM

The earlier words were " Work Liberates"

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 6:10PM

Tony Abbott a conservationist? That's like putting the head of chainsaw manufacture in charge of looking after forest. Talk about put a fox amongst the chickens. What a joke!

Commenter

Noogie

Location

Bundaberg

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:01PM

Is the taxpayer paying for Pollies wives to attend the knees up tonight ? I thought we had a Big Budget Black Hole Emergency

Commenter

Entitled Ones

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:00PM

There is never a budget emergency for politicians in the same way there is an emergency for everyone else. I think the Midwinter Ball, or knees up as you call it, is just another one of those events designed to stress how special the political elite, and those that hover about them, are. It includes ambassadors and journalists. A small privileged section of the community. There is a whole layer of people working to make it all happen of course. People who themselves don't attend Midwinter Balls but look on from the fringes. The lives of these people are impacted by the decisions the attendees at the Midwinter Ball make, and not always, as we are now seeing, for the good.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:22PM

That's why the cost of attending is proportional. The PM is doing the most damage so people wishing to dine with him must pay a premium.

- pension income and asset test thresholds fixed for three years from 2017.

- lowering income level deeming rates.

- including untaxed superannuation income in the eligibility test for the Senior's Health Card for anyone who turns 65 after 2014.

Should make interesting reading.

Commenter

howler monkey

Location

election promised land

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:58PM

Truthful letters are an unknown to the ALP Remember the letter/brochure circulated by the ALP proclaiming the first of 4 years of SURPLUSES.

Now that was a doozy of truth and facts wasn't it????

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:18PM

@AndieI don't think the LNP will be able to claim the moral high ground, for quite some time, after their efforts at the last election.

Commenter

howler monkey

Location

election promised land

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:39PM

Lewis

Re: “Considering Jerusalem has been ruled and conquered, destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout its existence;”

That is the point, Lewis. Egypt makes no claim to Jerusalem although it once occupied it. The same goes for Persia (Iran), Babylon (Iraq) Greece, Rome, Turkey, and the UK none lay claim to Jerusalem except the Arabs. But let me be clear here, the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) irrefutably confirm Jerusalem the capital city of the Jewish people going back more than 2000 years. Jerusalem was taken from Jews and it's people expelled, nevertheless it is there lawful real estate and no golden mosque or any religion can change this fact.

As for Christians having a bond with Jerusalem this purely built on fiction without any fact whatsoever, the Jerusalem of the Christian bible is the spiritual Jerusalem (Qumran) on the west coast of the Dead Sea.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:48PM

The Labor-green nanny state agenda might need a rethink. First the alcopops tax pushed young drinkers into beer and wine and raised sales.

Then here in Canberra the Greens forced us to buy plastic bags at the supermarket, which increased the production of plastic bags.

Now we discover that plain paper packaging has actually delivered a rise in cigarette sales.

And we hear that foreign countries had been planning to follow our model. Not any more, you'd reckon.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:44PM

I thought it was 18 June not 1 April - but based on this gem of wisdom I am not sure. Oh and Pepa Pig is flying past the window

Commenter

Really ?

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:50PM

And you would be wrong on the tobacco claim you purport to be factual..This argument is doing the rounds courtesy of the tobacco industry, yet has been clearly debunked. But don't let the facts get in your way of your partisan politicking.

Commenter

Master Blaster

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:55PM

Not to mention the nanny state effort of trying to curtail people choosing to risk their own lives on the high seas.

Commenter

tasch2

Location

Mornington Peninsula

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:59PM

Honestly it is all becoming so yawn worthy, these lies and spin.

Commenter

Tired

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:00PM

Master Blaster - yes there's been a bit of debate, but the facts are pretty clear - cigarette taxes and sales are up, and the average rice of a packet is down.

ABS stats show a 0.3% rise in volume sales, or an extra 59 million sticks.

Chief nanny Roxon declared at the time "Many other countries around the world... will take heart from the success of this decision today.". Maybe not now Nicola.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:11PM

Hacks,the Plain Paper Packaging story was created by the cigarette industry and has been discredited until people like you keep regurgitating it ad infinitum (but i guess that was there plan).ABC Fact Check investigates whether Mr Argent is correct to claim "the data is clear" that generic packaging of tobacco products has failed to reduce the number of smokers.

The claim: Philip Morris says "the data is clear" that plain packaging has not stopped people smoking.The verdict: The data commissioned by Philip Morris is not clear, it is inconclusive. And there is contrary evidence emerging to suggest plain packaging has had an impact.

in fact, Phillip Morris has refused to release the data base that they rely on to make their claims.

Commenter

Econorat

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:12PM

@Tired,perhaps that is the plan.

To make us so tired or habituated to the spin and lies, that we switch off, ignore them,accept them as inevitable and leave us despairing that this is the best we can expect from the Govt and give up on the process or on holding them to account for their deceptions and manipulations.

To bombard us with so much propaganda, doublespeak and portraying black as white that we no longer feel the insult that is flung at us every time they cynically and deliberately lie to us and twist the truth to suit their political and personal objectives.

Then they will do what they want and I am confident that will not be to serve the greater good.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:19PM

Econorat - do you think the ABS data was commissioned by the tobacco industry, because it seems pretty conclusive ?

It was a ridiculous decision at the time, and has backfired badly.

tasch2 - surely you jest - you do recall who opened the floodgates in the first place ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:23PM

Gee Hacka, just got to see your post re the claimed increase in sales due to plain packaging. For a start this study (by the tobacco industry) has been proven to be false and The Australian newspaper which had it as front page news has shot any credibility they had in the foot. You really should check your facts.Further to this, if the story had actually been correct, the tobacco industry would be celebrating and trying to push plan packaging on other countries so as to increase sales - but they are doing the opposite -!!

Commenter

JW

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:24PM

The latest edition of media watch (aired Monday) showed that plain packaging had indeed had an effect in reducing tobacco use. The story being put out there was to help the tobacco lobby in UK to stop the introduction of plain packaging there because they knew it would be damaging to their bottom line.

Expenditure is going up. Why? 1. Stores buying large quantities to beat a government induced price rise (which also accounts for the increase in cig's purchased) 2. Retail price per pack is going up (not down) due to increased tax (15%).

Suggest you look at facts rather than the IPA home page but then that's something I can expect you to not do.

Commenter

RobE

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:38PM

JW - it's not just The Oz pushing it, the Bureau of Stats have a report on it too.

What gets me is that Labor have these great big visions (cough) like the NBN, NDIS, pink batts, cash clunkers and the nanny stuff, and never do the research or hard yards up front.

Consequently the implementation always turns into an expensive disaster.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:58PM

BZ you should not believe all you see on Media Watch. Learn to b more discerning and look at other forms of media also as well as the actual report and you will find Media Watch was just on one if its hate session against News and as usual was wrong..

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:03PM

Hacka, I suppose Labor has vision, the only vision we see of the LNP is through a rear view mirror.

Commenter

Get real

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:40PM

@Hacka, the ABS does not have a report on it. They have not published smoking rates for this period. You just made that up. However, their data on household expenditure on tobacco confirms that it's at it's lowest level since 1959. Also, you might note that even on the Big Tobacco-funded data, tobacco sales per person has actually fallen - the increase in sales is due solely to an increase in population.

Commenter

Dags

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:56PM

Pigs might not fly.But the LNP porkies are flying full tilt across the chamber today..The PM is a conservationist. Of what might I ask - the status quo? ."There will be no new energy industry under a government that I lead", perhaps?

Commenter

Master Blaster

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:41PM

He is conserving the coal industry

Commenter

Get Real

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:01PM

It's encouraging that aid is going to be directed to the best performing organisations. Just as long as it is not measured by percentage outcomes like some ridiculous Government programs. eg An organisation looses their rating because they have too many clients on their books. This ultimately brings their success placement rate right down.

Commenter

Rod

Location

the Coast

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:36PM

Bishop the younger is the Cinderella tonight with her though the looking glass SlippersOff to the midwinter ball and turn into pumpkins at midnight after another day in the pumpkin patch. Clive’s got the golden coach and TA is no prince charming.

Commenter

Koel

Location

Qld

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:32PM

the LNP MPs already are pumpkins!

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:35PM

Sharon, there's a few QLD Blues- the hardest ones to cut and peel. The turn back& tow back boats look like Butternuts.And we're best friends with the Japs.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:52PM

Wow!! A big congratulations to Alex and his wife Katherine. Elizabeth is beautiful!

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:31PM

And Sharron, I think Elizabeth Mary is already trying to make her first comment on Politics Live.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:39PM

Well said Sharron. There's a bit of a baby theme at The Pulse with Stephanie P on mat leave.

Is the gang getting back together tonight at the MWB ? Maybe even Katharine Murphy could join the party.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:08PM

Julie Bishop has said that Australia was borrowing money overseas to fund aid. Does anyone know at what interest rate we were borrowing this money ? Some countries were recently offering less than 1%.

Commenter

Rod

Location

the Coast

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:27PM

Currently Australia's borrowings are at 4.5%. i.e. that is the approx yield on government bonds & treasury notes

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:36PM

She really has no idea does she, suits the LNP job position.

Commenter

Get Real

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:45PM

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has just been asked (by Liberal MP Angus Taylor of the Medicare letter), how the government is helping Australia Post, particularly in rural and regional areas.

Easy answer - if your PO is in a LNP Seat then no change to services - Boys in the Bush and Top End of Town will always be looked after

Commenter

Sir Pork Barrell

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:19PM

Accepting for arguments sake that the health system on its present trajectory is not sustainable, then if the GP primary care is the best defence against any blow out in more complex care (where the costs are rising quickest), then discouraging people from using primary care is a false short term economy.

This change is not IMO driven by economics or concern for the long term heatlh outcomes for Australians, it is about ideology and the Cons hatred of universal health care.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:09PM

Indeed Lyn - as are all their other changes

Commenter

Sir Pork Barrell

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:20PM

Spot on they hate really hate universal health care they just love their private hospitals with their private doctors and nurses earning more than they are worth, milking the money away from the public hospitals who do all the heavy lifting.

Commenter

Amro

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:40PM

If I had to sit through this drivel I too would aim to be kicked out - could spend an hour in my office attending to electoral business

Just maybe Madame Speaker knows there is a DD coming along and she doesn't have to bow down to Tony Abbott any longer.

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:57PM

@2.50pm: I would imply the PM agrees that the Government continues to mislead the country given his failure to deny the allegation.

Commenter

tasch2

Location

Mornington Peninsula

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:57PM

The speaker trying to make out she understands real football, a red card means your out for the duration of this match and the next.

Commenter

Amro

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:49PM

You are a Pacific expert because you you can see Fiji from your electorate?" Well I guess that is why Cigar Joe is qualified for Treasurer - he can see the Banks and Top End of Town across the harbour from his electorate. That explains why he is not going well - they are out of sight when he is in Canberra - can't see them ttrough the fog

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:48PM

Tony Abbott is a conservationist as much as I am a Catholic Priest!

Commenter

michael william lockhart

Location

toowoomba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:46PM

Congratulations!

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:11PM

Yep pay that one DM.

MWL left himself open for that one.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:18PM

Bishop the elder is very talented.

She is so talented that she knows ahead of the Opposition making any point of order what the point is, and is able to rule it out of order before hearing it at all or in full.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:42PM

a supernatural gift

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:54PM

Bishop is a disgrace,,,anyone watching parliament can see how she make pre -emptive rulings...I hope that labor learns its lesson and next time round starts appointing partisan speakers, rooting out liberal sympathisers in the public services, liberal dimwits in in our embassies etc etc I have a gutful of Abbott's lies and his right-wing backers and apologists in the press

Commenter

Allan

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:24PM

Abbott really is shameless.He is a disgrace and he is insulting everyone who is a real conservationist.I hope the people can see through this double speak.To borrow from John Elliott "Conservationist - my bottom*"

(*rephrased for the sensibilities of the moderator)

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:39PM

Perhaps he's testing his "funny" speech out in QT. Sure a few laughed.Yes, it is an insult- he sure knows how to upset people. Extremely capable in that Dept.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:55PM

I though that Wayne Swann had resigned from Parliament after Gillard got dumped as PM almost a year ago (26th June 2013) but I cna see his photo! Did he resign as a Cabinet Minister but not an MP?

Commenter

Belinda

Location

New Zealand

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:36PM

Correct, and got re-elected in last election

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=2V5

Commenter

The Mod

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:42PM

Apparently the Libs won't call a double dissolution election because it will cause instability. Fat chance that is the real reason. They know they don't stand a chance of winning it right now.

They probably ended up getting my vote because of preferences last time, but definitely not next time. As much as Labour don't respect the principles of economics, the Libs don't understand that some things can't be bought and some things can't be fixed with money.

A bit of wisdom and less idealism is what we need.

Commenter

PR

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:36PM

Given the mess they have made out of the Budget the Government is very unlikely to call a DD.

Commenter

tasch2

Location

Mornington Peninsula

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:42PM

Judith, surely Fairfax can't be so embarrassed about the border protection policies it supported under the previous government that you won't report the answer of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Not only did Labor cut funding to education on the mainland, it also cut funding to education for children in detention centres!

Commenter

Nulla

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:33PM

2.12 "A fair Budget, an honest Budget". hey TA all our legs are sore from being pulled over this.Wear your Albatross with pride, just a shame the carcass reeks to high hell. And it isn't going to go away, no matter how much glitter you sprinkle on it. You and Joe own this one. Perhaps Arthur was actually given a favour.

that's funny because Julie Bishop only asked one foreign affairs question in the last 5 years as opposition spokesperson for FA.

Commenter

Econorat

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:17PM

PM "I value and appreciate the great work that our tradies do," - but I don't represent them and they are not of the calibre that I promote

Commenter

Really ?

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:26PM

Presume they are not getting an invitation to meet the family

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:38PM

I thought Tony is the "Conservationist" PM - how does that mix with "Infrastructure" - something has to give

Commenter

Really ?

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:24PM

Abbott is correct. Funding will increase for education and health year on year. The mythical "$80B" was the unfunded lie pushed out by the ALP when it knew it would lose the election.. simply as a landmine for the incoming government.

As for Labor's demands for a business case for each asset sale/infrastructure initiative.. I don't think we've seen one for the NBN yet have we?

Commenter

Puzzled

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:21PM

"At the end of his answer, both sides complain that the other is making too much noise." To the Headmistress/Speaker: He did it. I didn't. You did. I didn't. She did it. She did. No I didn't. Yes you did, I saw you. And if you don't stop I will tell about you smoking behind the shelter-shed at recess.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:20PM

The Dorothy Dixer questions have to stop they are a waste of time. How about we the voters ask a few questions.

Commenter

Amro

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:07PM

Great idea, Amro. Tony Jones could be the moderator.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:14PM

Aaaaaw. That would spoil QT. The dixers are about the only question that TA gives anything like an answer to.

Commenter

Eljay

Location

Riverwood

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:33PM

You say that "the empowerment of women and girls" is your personal passion, Julie. But it seems to me that in Liberal land, where you live, that some women and girls are, and will be, more empowered than others.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:03PM

Why on earth should we borrow money to give it away to other nations ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:59PM

hakky, please indulge me with your wisdom. Is there a loan somewhere you can point to with "Purpose" as "Foreign Aid"?

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:15PM

You're smart Hacka so you know why.I get it Hacka, the faux ignorance and disingenuous query which is aimed at getting a rise and making you feel superior. That kind of looking down on others, does not deserve a serious answer.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:16PM

No Lyn, it's a perfectly reasonable question. Same question as why we would borrow money to give away as school kids bonuses.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:24PM

But we are happy to borrow money for a $8B gift to the RBA, to fund golden PPL for well paid women, for a bunch of fighter jets that are 2nd class, and to plug the gap in revenue that comes from Negative Gearing, FBT, Family Trusts, Super selight of hand, and all the Corporates that don't pay tax.

Makes a load of sense Hacka - right on the ball as per usual.

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:36PM

TBS - yes, i would have though that keeping our financial system liquid and defending our national borders would constitute fairly important responsibilities of any Australian government.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:45PM

Hacka being disingenuous again, as the school kids bonus is not in the same category as school kids bonus and you being smart, would know that they are in different categories. BTW, not accepting the premise that money is borrowed for aid or SKB (which is bad spending by your thinking) and not for other spending that you and your Govt support (which you clearly think admirable/necessary/affordable).That is as far as I am prepared to dignify your cynical question.I would be embarrassed to so cynically ask these questions Hacka.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:55PM

You make comments like the one above and wonder why you get labelled ‘right of Genghis’? And it’s not you or any of the Hacka’s working in shifts that I address directly but the Abbott policies that you guys defend.

Commenter

QED

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:56PM

Partial answer par for the course Hacks -the RBA did not ask for the money, and the planes will be useless, and no attempted defense of the indefensable of course

Commenter

Blue Tie Ineptitude

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:58PM

QED - so being an economic rationalist is now right wing is it ? Looking at the last six years, perhaps you may have a point.

Lyn - speaking of embarrassing, you might want to re-read your post. By the way it's not my government, it's all of ours.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:04PM

Correction to my last comment above, should read:"......as the school kids bonus is not in the same category as foreign aid and you being smart,......."

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:16PM

General observation - the questions in QT are becoming a bit of a joke. Rather than try to accurate hold the government to account based on facts and figures, Labor seem to prefer using porkies as a premise to ask questions.

Examples are Plibersek at 2:20 with her $80 billion fantasy, and Macklin at 3:09 with the supposed shrinking pensions, which also defies the facts.

Each one is a free hit to the government, and makes the questioner look silly. Maybe they should read the budget first.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:26PM

Hacka – yes, economic rationalism is the diametrically opposed equal of Communism ie as far right as Communism is left.

If anyone is wondering why most of us are up in arms about this Abbott budget have a think about how you (and the rest of us) would react if someone had brought in failed policies Communist budget! Instead we have Abbott bringing in failed policies right wing policies. Both Communism and economic rationalism pretend to be for the good of the majority, but both are in reality about giving power to a select few. Both are offensive and should be fought at every turn.

Commenter

QED

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:56PM

QED - actually it's not. Even the Ruskies knew they had to eventually pay their way, and their failure to do so caused the collapse of communism.

But do tell - what is your preferred economic model if you think that capitalism "should be fought at every turn" ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:42PM

Hacka - "Lyn - speaking of embarrassing, you might want to re-read your post. By the way it's not my government, it's all of ours."

Not embarrassed about that error. But I should rightly be embarrassed if I disclosed an apparent witlessness by pointing out an obvious error in another's post, when the meaning was clear. Horses for courses.

As a matter of logic, if the Govt is "ours" then it is also "yours".

Technically, the Government is just that ie"the" Government. None of us own it.

Don't presume to foist the Govt on me as something that I want to or should claim, as my own, when Abbott, (despite the spectacular spin if not lie that his promise to Govern for all, even those who did not vote for him, has proven to be), in my assessment is not governing for me or in my or IMO in the majority's or in Australia's best interests..

It's all yours Hacka.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 5:09PM

Does Peter Greste have to pay for consular assistance? that's what Bishop declared earlier re Aussies abroad in trouble.Welcome to user pays.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:57PM

Yes, because bailing out drunken, boorish Aussies disrespecting foreign countries and flouting their laws is such a great use of tax dollars. I'm pretty sure Mr Greste's situation doesn't qualify.

Commenter

brian

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:17PM

Brian 100% agree about boorish bogans.But how far does this now go, re politics etc.I sincerely hope he is being afforded all the help he can get- it's where they draw the line I'd like to know.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:22PM

DD is a non-core promise. They'll do anything, anything, to stay in power. That's what it's all about. It's not about the voter or the country, but about the party and their own careers. Having been out they're now in, and they will do their utmost to stay in.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:51PM

and if they do that, by the time the next election is over, there won't be a Liberal Party and the Nationals will go back to being nothing.

They are tackling the AAA debt & deficit disaster. That's why they had to tell blatant bare-faced lies to seize power from Labor.As we all know AAA is only one step away from becoming one of the PIGS.

Commenter

howler monkey

Location

election promised land

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:34PM

TA re letter to pensioners -"Any letter will at least be truthful."

That's going to be some letter.

It will have to address

- lowering indexation to the CPI- withdrawal of funding to the states for concessions & discounts involving public transport, rates, water, electricity & fee exemptions for driver's licences etc.- scrapping of the Senior's Supplement & other supplements.- pension income and asset test thresholds fixed for three years from 2017.- lowering income levels deeming rates.- including untaxed superannuation income in the eligibility test for the Senior's Health Card for anyone who turns 65 after 2014.

Should be interesting reading.

Commenter

howler monkey

Location

election promised land

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:14PM

Plibersek seems to have forgotten the large cuts Labor made to foreign aid budget which it then used to fund it's border security failures.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:49PM

Speaking of foreign aid, my questioning is to the parakeet member for Taxtown

Hacka

In regard to the death and destruction disaster that has been inherited from LNP Iraq policy, does Hacka agree with Major General Cantwell, who was in charge of operations in Gulf War 2, when he said on AM on Monday of Bush, Blair and your lying rodent PM Howard that they were "the leaders that led us down that very, very bad pathway where we knocked over a government and a country on the basis of very poor intelligence and political blinkers, and led to a terrible and extended and very, very deadly war."

LNP policy has made a bloody mess of Iraq hasn't it?

Now that's a real crisis and a real emergency, all down to the very bad idea that getting rid of Saddam without thinking about the consequences would be "a good thing". It makes our federal debt an unremarkable issue to deal with doesn't it?

How many people have been blown up in Baghdad so far today Hacka?

Commenter

Windmill

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:57PM

Yes completely agree Windmill, lets also have an enquiry into World War II and Vietnam shall we ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:05PM

windmill- if we left the decisions to people like you we would be slaves to the japs for the past 70 years.

Commenter

bush bogan

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:16PM

Hacka: "Yes completely agree Windmill, lets also have an enquiry into World War II and Vietnam shall we?" - and what do you think that would show Hacka? WW2: Australia went to war courtesy of...the Liberals. Vietnam: Australia went to war courtesy of...the Liberals (same PM - Menzies in fact).What does that prove? That the Liberals are war mongering? Not necessarily. But it does make you wonder. Personally I think that WW2 was justified and was based (unlike Vietnam and Iraq) on more truth than lies. Vietnam was, like Iraq, based on a lie (the communist "threat"). All three wars killed more civilians than it did combatants.

Perhaps it's time for the Liberals to put down their weapons? They obviously can't be trusted with them.

Of three wars though, Iraq requires at the very least, a Royal Commission. It was a war with no basis, based on multiple lies, in violation of the UN Security Counsel, without regard to knowledgeable voices of reason who were pointing out the deficits in the so called "intelligence" being put forward in support of the action.

Commenter

RobE

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:38PM

Ah, Taxtown speaks. Is that a core or non core agreement that the LNP policies are disasterous, Hacka?

A royal commission into WW2, eh.

It will show that your man Menzies squibbed the greatest moral challenged we had faced and that it took a minority ALP government to successfully prosecute a justified war when your man Menzies failed so badly he was the first prime minister to be stabbed in the back by his party after only winning one election.

The Vietnam royal com will show that your man Menzies created a death and destruction disaster in an unjustified war. You are good at unjustified death and destruction aren't you.

Quite a bloody mess you've made in Iraq isn't it? Makes debt of 20% - 30% (take your pick on the figures) of GDP a walk in the park.

The royal com into WW2 will show that the ALP and the LCP also managed to deal OK with a debt of 150% of GDP following that global crisis.

Commenter

Windmill

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:28PM

bush bogan

You've obviously found plenty of straw for your man out there in the bush.

So tell me again of the threat of "our bastard" Saddam in 2003, tell me how Saddam was overrunning Europe, tell me about his thousand year reich, tell me about his navy steaming off the Australian coast, tell me of his invasion of China, tell me of his chances of bombing Darwin or of his subs ability to attack Sydney.

Contrary to what is being reported, Abbott's DD trigger is not yet fully delivered. He still needs that senate electoral reform passed - with bipartisan support.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:49PM

Brandis should explain that Jerusalem in its entirety is a city that irrefutably forms part of Israel. It is only part Arab owned by UNSCOP in 1947 recommending the dividing of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab and with Jerusalem an international city. Sixty seven years on and this recommendation is clearly an abject failure. Australia should recognise Jerusalem and its rightful owners the Jewish people and be done with the hypocrisy.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:46PM

Considering Jerusalem has been ruled and conquered, destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout its existence; and, considering that permanent settlement of the area goes back to the early bronze age by various Semitic tribes of which the Hebrews were only one, your post is a touch one eyed simplistic. BTW, Arabs do not come from Arabia. They were originally nomadic tribes from all over the place. Some of them permanently settled in the land then known as Canaan.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:33PM

Tanya is going to be the best Foreign Minister and the best Deputy Prime Minister!

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:43PM

Seems all Plibersek knows is how to borrow money overseas to send it back overseas in "aid".

How about "aiding" the Australian taxpayers and stop borrowing money to give away.

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:53PM

just what we need another Fabian socialist as pm... Plibersek in powerwould be a disaster for Australia.....

Commenter

melbourne centrist

Location

melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:55PM

"aiding" Australian tax payers? Well that's something this Tony Abbott government doesn't do!

Tanya will be brilliant. Bishop should takes lessons from Tanya, it just may help her a little bit.

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:00PM

I fear Tanya is going to be one of those "likeliest to succeed but never did." sort of people. A bit like Peter Costello.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:00PM

@Lewis. Remember that Bronwyn Bishop, our illustrious and fair-minded Speaker, was also once touted as a "future Prime Minister." And yes, she had ambitions in that direction. But ladies can only go so far in the LNP because, well because they're ladies. And appearing too ambitious just would not do.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:12PM

I don't know, Pluto... I love Bronnie dearly for her entertainment value but I'm kinda glad she never made PM.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:38PM

I think Tanya maybe the next female Prime Minister of Australia.

Commenter

Belinda

Location

New Zealand

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:42PM

Shaz, i we were no paying $1 BILLION a month, $12 Billion a year in interest on ALP government debt just think how Abbott could "aid" Australians.

$12 Billion down the gurgler every year before the government can even think of "aiding" Australians.

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:04PM

Hey Hacka

Have you rustled up the erudition yet that explains how the carbon tax can send the economy into a tail spin by the impost of 70 cents per day per person?

Come on Hack’s, what is the matter with you? Surely you can explain how $6 billion divided by 23.4 million population divided by 365 days a year realises 70 cents per day per capita to overwhelm the Australian economy with a GDP of $1.525 trillion.

Show us how Abbottism economics performs this miracle in reverse. Personally I think that dear old Pen has you gob smacked, Hacka, and you cannot explain it for reasons best known by yourself. Have you thought of asking Abbott to explain it? Perhaps Hockey has some idea hidden beneath his economics on B.S.?

Are you there, Hacka?

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:28PM

Hey Pen go easy on poor old Hacks - there's only so much pressure that can be dealt with at once you know. Next you'll be asking him/her to explain why Tony wants to abolish the CEFC, an enterprise that brings income to the government.

Commenter

RobE

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:02PM

Pen - given you went into meltdown over the indexation of the fuel excise, which will cost drivers around 7 cents per day, perhaps you've already answered your own question.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:02PM

I guess we can add that money to that we need to find to go to the Dr, perscriptions, tests, and all the other gems of wisdom about to rain down on us. Oh to be a highly paid pollie staffer

Commenter

Really ?

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:22PM

When a DD is called, does that mean the senator elects, are in before they are out, or out before they are in?

Commenter

Koel

Location

Central Qld

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:20PM

It means they are shaken all about.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:23PM

Depends on their colour - Any Blue Candidate = In. The rest = Out for good

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:29PM

It means there goes their $200,000 plus perks salary!

They're not actually begging for a DD, even though they profess to be against all the government's legislation .... money talks!

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:30PM

with Tony Hokey Pokey Abbott!

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:33PM

They love DD if re-elected - and most of them will - meaning they have served two terms with barely a day in the Parliament Think of the super benefit flowing on from that !

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:46PM

Only half of them will get a six-year term if there is a double thingamabob.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:14PM

"...stand up comedy, shrill snide vocalization and mouth frothing until your red in the face courses"..

Tim, you are describing Scott Ludlam's religious and racial vilification of Tony Abbott in his "speech".

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:14PM

Sounds like Tony, Chris and a few others - the mirror does not lie

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:17PM

Blue Tie, I was thinking Barnaby.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:30PM

ACG, me too ( although I try not to think of Barnaby too often- and twice in one day is twice too often re the rugby shorts photos).

Ludlum has always been mouth froth free and (relatively) pale faced when I have heard and seen him, including in his "Invite to Abbott to visit WA" speech in the Senate earlier this year.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:47PM

Lyn -twas "Speech of the Year" and must thank christielle for reminding me to watch it again.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:51PM

12.53.Julie Bishop says one of the objectives of the aid programme is "The empowerment of women and girls - "one that is a personal passion"."

Is that meant to be ironic, given the fail on that front in her own Party's almost complete disempowerment of women in the Cabinet?

More of the Liberal Party's do as I say not do as I do nonsense.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:12PM

Lyn - only for girls of calibre from the right sort of background of course

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:14PM

Well Julie Bishop did say "personal..."

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:21PM

She doesn't pick the cabinet.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:35PM

no Jim Morrison, she just supports it

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:40PM

David did I say or imply she picks the Cabinet?No elephant stamp for stating this widely known fact nor for the implicit slap down that I and other commenters are unaware of this. .

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:44PM

All I can say is, Julie Bishop did not choose the cabinet. Therefore, what relevance does an almost all-male cabinet have to her desire for a better deal for women?

And before sensitivity becomes a way of life, the fact that I point out the obvious does not in any way imply that I think others are ignorant of the fact.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:58PM

DM,

who is being sensitive?

Apologies for giving you credit for being smarter than simply stating the obvious for its own sake.

Agreed Bishop probably has no to little power to influence Minsterial selections directly.

But her avowed passion for women’s empowerment (not just her own, and perhaps as another commenter pointed out, that is what she really means when she said it was “personal”) at the least does not ring true and at worst is delusional, given she is at the centre of the parliamentary party where all women (except her) have been relegated to less powerful roles ie disempowered to a large extent, she is a central plank of that Govt and a vocal supporter and booster and gives every appearance of being only too happy with the disempowerment.

Appearance is important for credibility. Part of having principles is speaking up for them and acting in support of them, when they are being trampled. Her failure to publicly criticise the lack of women in cabinet or publicly agitate for more female cabinet representation -v- her public rhetoric, do not gel.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 6:00PM

Why no caption competition for the Balinese carving and the PM photo... (11:48)

eg which one is more wooden?

You said no new taxes, I said no more Laksas....

Commenter

John

Location

North West Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:09PM

better the devil you know?

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:52PM

And then there's James abandoning his hunt on Slipper. What does Christopher have to say about this?

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:01PM

Oh ACG - I am sure he is thinking "that is so last year, nothing to see here, move along". Meanwhile the rest of us see the truth

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:08PM

ACG, probably "Job done - time to shut it down."

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:09PM

Who is smiling now ?

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:12PM

costs anyone?

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:16PM

Hopefully Slipper gets costs - but what if the other party has no assets ??

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:23PM

He unlike the ALP is interested in saving the taxpayers money and not seeing it wasted on defending Slipper.

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:28PM

Oh well, Mal Brough, its back to the drawing board.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:31PM

hey Andie, the taxpayer may yet win their money back as the Commonwealth stumped up the funds and should make a claim for costs from Ashby - look before you litigate

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:34PM

This is terrible - thanks to Labor we can barely afford aid money anymore.

We've had to borrow it first !

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:00PM

But apparently we can afford to borrow for Gold Class PPL to wealthy mothers . . . shows the lack of moral fibre. But then those really needing "aid" are the Top End of Town

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:09PM

... and money from the aid budget was rerouted to the Immigration portfolio making Australia the single largest recipient of Australia's foreign aid. Remarkable stuff from the ALP.

Commenter

Nulla

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:11PM

@christielle, we all do - having a big mortgage do not stop me or other from donating to charities. If we all think like you then institutions like Smith Family, World Vision, Salvation Army etc would have no money at all. I listened to father Riley this morning on ABC telling us that people are donating less because of the perceived economic hardship and budget emergency talk from the LNP, they only donating less, not stopping it all together. The US owing the world trillions but still donate money to the less fortunate and poor countries. We are relatively well off and have very low debt so we should do more even if we have to borrow money. because the poorer countries can't even borrow money to feed their population.

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:27PM

christielle, you seem to just swallow whatever your team says as truth and light and choose not to look behind, consider it critically, do a bit of thinking for yourself.It is an indictment on the education system of wherever you were educated.It is simplistic in the extreme, and Bishop is appealing to the simple minded with her misleading formulation of borrow funds from overseas to send back overseas. Why is it so abhorrent to borrow for aid to save people but not for weapons of war ie jets that will potentially be used to kill people?

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:28PM

Nulla, you are correct.That was shonky. As is what the Govt is doing now - reducing the aid budget and changing the primary objective from assisting the poor to wringing strategic advantage from the aid spend for Australia.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:34PM

Umm had a look at the defence budget? You strike me as being gullible - in taking their bait and spin.Question christielle, question every bit of spin- no matter who spruikes it.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:10PM

One would think that Bishop and her ALLIANCE PARTNER understand that Iraq has been a basket case almost from its conception as a state made reality by the Poms back in 1920. To be fair to the realm of Knights and Dames they had the common sense not to put an Iraqi in charge. This idea was obviously born of wisdom of empire building so they placed on a wobbly throne King Faisal.

Remarkably Sunni’s and Shia kept the cutting of each other’s throats to a minimum for the following 12 years. Unfortunately in 1933 Faisal heard whisperings from paradise and popped over to the other side.

Faisal son, Ghazi took over the reins of governance which quickly descended into typical Sunni/Shia chaos. By 1958 the armed forces overthrew the monarchy. Parliament was abolished and military rule imposed under Brigadier Abd al-Karim Qassam as P.M..

One year later a Ba’thist hit team failed to assassinate Qassem, and Saddam Hussain escaped to Syria. In 1963 Ba’thists overthrew Qassem to survive in power for nine months until the next military take over. In 1968 Ba’thists struck again with another coup. Hasan al Bakr became President and Commander-In Chief.

In 1972 the Iraq Petroleum Company was nationalised to provide power with so much greed it’s difficult to rationalise. By 1979 Saddam was in power, stripping Bakr of all authority, placeing him under arrest, he then had 500 Ba’thists executed.

Nine years on Saddam tried to execute Iran for 8 years. Somewhat disgruntled by failure he had his air force drop chemical bombs on Kurdish villages, estimated deaths 50,000-180,000. In 1990 Saddam’s troops killed a few thousand more neighbours in Kuwait. It should be noted that throughout this period Iraq was and still is ruled by an alliance of divine guidance.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:58PM

12.39pm. Andrew Meares, that's a good photo of J Bishop at the Press Club.She looks like she has a heart and soul.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:56PM

Looks can be deceiving, unfortunately the heart and soul have been removed never to be seen again.

Commenter

Jenharl

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:02PM

Lyn Having one doesn't mean you know what it's for.

Commenter

fred

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:08PM

Well the looks are certainly a big improvement on the last effort.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:12PM

The obsession with the States reminds me of a very funny Meme I saw last night. Alongside the giant Malibu given to Obama was a giant Ironing board all special for Michelle. No need for captions.

I'm sure the coalition are not too worried about a threat from the Greens, it's a bit like the Sydney Swans getting a threat from the St Kilda under 19's C grade team.

Commenter

Strewth

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:31PM

Poor analogy. The Sydney Swans have a good culture and are actually competent at what they do.

Commenter

tasch2

Location

Mornington Peninsula

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:49PM

Strewth - please, you are giving the St Kilda under 19s a bad name when you compare them to the Greens - for the Saints are much more competent...

Commenter

Pawel

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:56PM

and how painful it must be losing to them

Commenter

olryanlo

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:57PM

What is a Sydney Swann?

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:03PM

Do you mean coalition of the unwilling?...the Nats have been caught with their pants down in recent times after trying to get out of bed with the Liberals (at least they are Liberal with the truth !)

Commenter

LiberalsPantsonFire

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:09PM

Or Billy Shorten asking a question in QT - wet lettuce leaf substance

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:21PM

Andie - saying something every day does not make it true - it is boring but not believable

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:26PM

I know Billy repeating the same lies over and over every day in his repetitive questions in QT does not make any them true.

Which is why Billy he is beginning to look a little silly!

Commenter

Andie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:57PM

Ho Hum Andie - you are a recent addition to the Young Liberals posting here - names may change but the underlying falsehoods are the same and the "look over there" and "what about the ALP". You are in Govt now - but we are waiting for something to happen

Commenter

Really ?

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 2:12PM

"The Greens and Labor combined to defeat the abolition bill, 35 no to 28 aye.That sets up a double dissolution trigger"

Now to see if TA can actually keep a promise. Based on past performance I doubt it but there's a first time for everything.

Commenter

RobE

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:06PM

Get over yourself - in three weeks time these bills will pass - no amount of huffing and puffing from the Greens and ALP will change this fact.

Commenter

Pawel

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:14PM

After July 1 it might get even tougher for Tony . . . . . the new Senators are unknown quantities and can be in no doubt as to the mood of the electorate

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:26PM

Pawel - let's see shall we? The Clean Energy Finance Corporation is a profit making organisation - doubt Clive will see any reason in dumping it just for the sake of dumping. Particularly in this so called "debt and deficit disaster" environment.

Until such time as if or when it actually does get through though the challenge remains - is TA courageous enough to call a DD like he promised he would or is he a coward who will renege yet again?

Commenter

RobE

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:31PM

Why would we need to go to a DD when the new Senate is likely to support the abolition of the Labor-Greens slush fund that is the CEFC?

Commenter

Nulla

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:32PM

You know it would be of great interest to Clive to force a double solution - His PUB would have the most to gain, not sure about Labor or Green but one thing for sure this time around PUB may even score enough seats from the LNP to form government which who ever he fancies . Interesting time ahead indeed..

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:53PM

Hacka"... have expressed an interest in pushing the PPL through"

I know they have, Hacka, but who can rely on Greens for integrity? even though the policy is close to their heart?

Their Abbott hate is strong and overriding (eg, Scott Ludlam)

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:05PM

Yes, clearly the likes of Ludlam, Milne and SHY missed out on the "how to act like an Australian parliamentarian" training when it was on.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:28PM

Hacka - I nearly chocked on my lunch - all LNP Members failed that class - or maybe got a fail mark because they failed to attend.

Commenter

Blue Tie Ineptitude

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:38PM

Hacka , the greens never get invited to IPA sponsored training events. The LNP parliamentarians how ever excel in the intimidation, chest beating, stand up comedy, shrill snide vocalization and mouth frothing until your red in the face courses.

Commenter

Tim

Location

Inner City

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:56PM

Hacka, yes I notice they didn't pass the 'How to rort to your heart's content 101 class' and failed dismally on the 'Representing the Big End with strings attached' lesson'.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:09PM

It’s good that we seem to be getting the Indonesian relationship back on track, although it could have been done sooner, and the problems could have been largely avoided with more adept handling earlier in the year. Part of the problem may be that Tony appears to be more comfortable talking to the statue at 11:46 than to the ambassador at 11:45?

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:53AM

I suspect both are equally hearing Tony's slogans

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:02PM

And even the statue doesn't seem convinced Abbott's telling the truth.

Commenter

fred

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:13PM

@Pluto " If that's what you want it's obvious you dine with Abbott"

Pluto, Perhaps it's the after dinner action we girls are more interested in ...

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:43AM

If I had to eat dinner with Tony I'd be asleep by the end of first course . . .

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:03PM

Yeeeew.

Christielle, please do not presume to speak for me about the desire for after dinner ( or any other type of action) with Abbott.

Why do you presume to do so?

Such a dinner, on my list of desirable things to do, comes after cleaning the toilet.

Suggest you keep your rose coloured glasses on at all times, if you are the winner of the Abbott dinner auction.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:06PM

Some company you know who may have to add another $600 on top of their $60,000 payment to score six seats at Tony table

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:23PM

11.24 Bring it on Scott.'Friends of a new election'.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:33AM

ACG - if there is a DD, then based on last years national vote, the Greens would lose two Senators and be down to 6.

Likely departures - Ludlam and SHY.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:40AM

Here Here Country Gal, Friends of the old Australian concept, giving everyone a fair go.Or is this another proud Australian culture the Liberals want to destroy for self gain???Get rid of this train smash Govt

Commenter

jacktar

Location

barwon

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:47AM

Agreed, ACG. Bring on a DD, I say.Abbott will be too chicken to follow up on his election promise though, (including his 'no deals with minor parties' promise) - because at this point, the LNP actually KNOW they will lose government if it came down to it!

Commenter

Jump

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:01PM

Hacka, wouldn't be quite so confident if I were you. if The Greens did indeed lose a Sen it would be worth getting rid of this regime. If I were you I'd be more worried about how your camp will travel.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:13PM

Hacka - don't think last years vote is relevant . . . . but lets put it to the test. So many previous Liberal voters are now deciding which other party will now get thier vote. Greens, PUP, Independents all possible. Maybe even back to ALP.

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:17PM

Very funny stuff Hacka: "based on last year's vote...". That was before the electorate saw what many of us knew would be the case - an incompetenet, childish, ideologically driven rabble lorded over by a clueless ultra-conservative. Even fair-minded conservatives have been writing letters about the lies of Abbott and Hockey and the budget attacks on the poor end of town. I can recall cons demanding an early election after Gillard's hung parliament was installed. There is a far greater justification now for a re-run after Abbott and Hockey in particular showed contempt for democracy and the electorate through their barefaced lies during the 2013 campaign. Bring it on.

Commenter

Jon

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:32PM

Well ACG, you may be right, but right now the polls seem to have stabilised for the government, with the numbers at 47-53, and Shorten on the nose as much as Abbott.

If an election was held this weekend, i would be strongly confident that the government would be returned.

Mind you the Senate numbers would be interesting - hard to predict which way they'd go but it's likely that PUP would gain seats.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:35PM

Hacka - hardly objective analysis from you - but then I don't expect you to share the polling in LNP marginal seats. Don't underestimate Grey Voters . .

Commenter

Blue Tie Ineptitude

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:41PM

There will be no DD anytime soon. Not before Abbott first tests the new senate. He does have his trigger however & you can be sure he will use it only if & WHEN it best suits him. That will not be determined by a demographically shaped nationally averaged 2PP newspoll. It will be determined by private marginal seat by marginal seat polling.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:48PM

Hacka, your memory of recent events seems to be playing up, as is your ability to rationally interpret data.

In the April '14 WA Senate re-run election, Ludlum increased his percentage of votes from the Sept '13 results by about 6%.

You are of course entitled to view an increase in votes as a predictor of future electoral loss, but I prefer the rational interpretation that future electoral success for Ludlum is more not less likely based on the April results.

Then there is that stinking carcass of a budget, that together with the broken promises, consistent Liberal treatment of voters as idiots, hidden agendas made patent all leading to voters (as the polls show) fleeing from the Govt. The other parties will inevitably be the beneficiary of those votes, including the Greens. Thus predicting an increase in support rather than electoral defeat for SHY and Ludlum at the next election.

And meanwhile, back in the environment, as the adverse effects of climate change are occurring and increasing before our eyes, this will also likely result in an increase in support for parties that have a real climate change amelioration policy ie the Greens.

I admire your Liberal fortitude in the face of the self-inflicted electoral adversity the Government is suffering. Not your methods though which often spin, distort and misrepresent, of which IMO your comment is an example.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:52PM

Hacka But your confidence doesn't inspire any in me. You were (past tense) also very confident Abbott would provide honest, united and progressive leadership and so far you haven't got one right out of three!

Commenter

rext

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 1:00PM

HackaDirect Action won't be sidelined.It's part of our contribution to reduction of emissions, and we've promised "to the world" we will do this. It is a commitment.All nations are attempting to reduce emissions.

If PPL can't get through, then it looks as though the public servants' PPL will have to be scaled back/scrapped too? as per QT yesterday?

Commenter

christielle

Location

HP

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:30AM

I,d hardly call reducing $500M from Landcare's Budget addressing emissions.Best you read up on the dud that DA is too.I know people who were all for it till they had an in depth look at the proposed action. Those people are hard core supporters of the Govt.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:41AM

Yes, a solemn Liberal Party commitment.We all know what that means. Direct Action is a goner for sure.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:41AM

Christie - dear dear - PPL's already in place in the APS and in private enterprise are fundrd totally by the employer and are part of the "total cost of employment" - ie have been negotiated. Only the Base Wage PPL of $622.10 paid from Centrelink is funded by the taxpayer.

So no dear - Tony's PPL scheme which is set to fail will have no impact on those agreements already in place.

Commenter

Blue Tie Ineptitude

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:43AM

christelle - it's quite interesting - the Greens, fresh from their belting by the High Court, have expressed an interest in pushing the PPL through.

If they do want to, it'll have to be in the next eight days, after which they'll be sidelined.

Wonder if there's any chance of parliament being recalled on 30 June for the day. Abbott's already got the Senate lined up for a 7 July sitting week.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:52AM

So it seems that SHY and the Greens support people smugglers that traffic in up to 20,000 a year into Australia making the poor buggers that have been waiting in UN camps for up to 5 years, wait even longer. Sure detention can be extremely cruel but the last PNG deterrent (K.RUDD 2013) has stopped the trade by sea to Aus and over the years will probably save hundreds of lives. Hmmm no one from the left is making fun of that 3 word slogan these days eh? I support measures that if you pay to come via any route, including air, you should go to the back of the queue... not the front. Unusual for the greens to turn a blind eye to a system in which the people who can’t pay are severely disadvantaged.

Commenter

Brettie

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:24AM

Brettie, I think that that verbals what SHY said and intends.She says Manus is inhumane. She did not say and I do not consider she meant come on down.It must be possible to treat the people on Manus better without endangering the effectiveness of both main parties' policies of reducing/stopping arrivals by boat.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:50AM

The Greens do defacto support it. It's pre-requisite for Greens membership though that you don't think through the consequences of your decisions.

Commenter

Doc

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:06PM

Doc,

I think that it might be a universal requirement for being a politician, rather than a party member.

Case in point - the Libs with their terminological clarification over disputed v occupied seem not to have considered the prospects of Arab trade sanctions.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 6:19PM

9.23am "(There is a parliamentary friends for everything.)"

I doubt there is a "Friends of" for the budget.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:16AM

Good point Lyn.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:22AM

Not too many Friends of PPL, either. Not in the form proposed, that is.

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:43AM

Indeed - that Budget is as friendly as poison ivy

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:45AM

Should read: ss. 198AB and 198AD.

Commenter

Jason Gold Coast

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:02AM

['The challenge has been knocked down in the High Court.']

Yes, and it was a unanimous decision, the ratio being that the two challenged sections of the Migration Act (198AD & 198AD) were consistent with the powers conferred by s.51 ss xix (naturalisation and aliens) of the Constitution.

Commenter

Jason Gold Coast

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:57AM

Pehaps the happily tweeting Senator for Sea Patrol might like to finally add that over 1200 drownings at sea is not morally acceptable either.

Commenter

Green with Hypocrisy

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:50AM

OMG, Chris Pynes insulting three word slogans have actually crawled in to the ranks of the right like a cancer. How original of you GWH.Maybe if the Libs didn't block and play politics with the Malaysia proposal those 1200 refugee's may still be alive...hypocrite.

Commenter

Jacktar

Location

barwon

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:12AM

What a sad, curious, emotive and faintly offensive observation.

Of course it's immoral to keep asylum seekers in sub-human conditions in the hope that by punishing one lot we'll keep other desperate people out. It's also moraly wrong to allow people to drown.

For you, obviously, the ends justify the means, and you support the repulsive solution jointly devised and supported by Labor and Liberals.

But we are a civilised nation (aren't we???), and surely intelligent enough to come up with a way of handling what is, on a world scale, a relatively minor influx of asylum seekers.

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:12AM

I'm told that only 10% of people read Tweets.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:13AM

@Jacktar. In case you have forgotten, it was the Greens that blocked the Malaysia Solution. Gillard and her alliance of Greens and Independents had a majority and could have pushed that through. Ditto the ETS, or do you blame Abbott for that one not getting through too, bearing in mind the opposition generally opposes everything, just as Shorten has been doing since September last year.

Commenter

Traddles

Location

Geelong

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:43AM

As usual the Greens won't accept the umpire's decision. Sarah Sea-Patrol believes she is the arbiter of moral acceptability.

Commenter

Puzzled

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:47AM

No, without tragedy she has no soap box. Rather than applauding no drownings at sea she seeks ways to again have successful policy undermined.

Commenter

dexxter

Location

melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:18AM

So dexter, you don't call a murder and sixty plus viscous assaults a tragedy.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:28AM

Well someone has to have a moral compass. What SHY did say is Manus is "inhumane, unsafe and untenable as a place for refugees"..If you believe the end justifies the means here, then that's your privilege. Let's not kid ourselves about concern for asylum seeker safety. We all know the sub-text of the "stop the boats" mantra is "go back to where you came from".

Commenter

stevek

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:34AM

If the Senator for Sea Patrol is the moral compass then its time to go back to using the Sun and stars.

Commenter

Green with Hypocrisy

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:55AM

Puzzled, the Greens are the only ones that didn't sell their morals for the sake of winning the redneck vote. Pre-Hanson/Howard/Ruddock most of us didn't hate refugees because they came by boat.

Commenter

jofek

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:57AM

well i call a death and 60 odd vicious assaults a significant improvement over 300 deaths at sea

Commenter

Doc

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:04PM

Doc, every death, every assault is a tragedy. Comparing is a deplorable attitude.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:18PM

Did anyone see the interview that Graham Richardson and Alan Jones did with Clive Palmer last night ? Bizarre, to say the least.

Seems pretty clear that Abbott's not getting a few key measures through the Senate, including the PPL and direct action, meaning:

a) we'll have no carbon policy in about two weeks

b) the budget will have an extra $8 billion per year in lower spending ($5 PPL and $3 DAP)

c) Palmer's bargaining chips will then include increasing pensions (he wants them up $150 per fortnight)

In some ways he'll probably be doing the government a favour.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:44AM

Yes - and then Tony will go to the next election saying "we" increased pensions, and did not burden the economy with unaffordable welfare for already well paid woman . . . . I think I just saw Pepa Pig flying backwards across the sky.

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:58AM

Sorry Hacka, My radio dial doesn't have 2GB therefore never listen to Jones, and I suspect most Herald readers don't either.

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:58AM

Hacka, if Rolls Royce Clive manages to rid us of the Carbon Tax, the PPL, AND Direct Action then that would be the trifecta win for me. Keep on rollin' Clive.

Commenter

Lewis

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:10AM

Crickets in your reply column Hacka.Well done, you have succeeded in boring the hell out of us with your broken record right wing rhetoric.

Commenter

Jacktar

Location

barwon

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:18AM

Well Hacka the blinkers are off , so you have worked out that Tony and his mob are useless. Unbelievable .....€

Commenter

Supa350

Location

Wodonga

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:20AM

Lewis - yes it probably would be a good result. The question is what price he would extract.

Mais51 - it's on TV so not only do you get to hear Jones, you get to see him. Surely Richo is a bit more to your flavour though.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:21AM

mais51, sometimes when I'm feeling low and in need of a good laugh, I listen to Alan Jones Comments on the 2GB website. There's a new one every day. Always a source of mirth. It's where I first heard the words (and you really need the audio to hear the sycophantic tone)... "Tont Abbott was magnificent".

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:21AM

Ms Plibersek doesn't seem to have many "friends" wanting to have dinner with her ...

I guess the Young Liberals and Top End of Town are the only ones who can write this stunt off against expenses . . . . the rest of us have businesses to run and families to support - and this Budget is going to make this all the harder. We won't be wasting monely listening to the Blue Tie Boys giving themselves 15 min of fame.

Commenter

Blue Tie Shonks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:02AM

That's with Tanya AND Bill. Hmmm.

Commenter

Puzzled

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:02AM

I can buy dinner more cheaply than that, and have a much more desirable companion (bias admitted).

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:10AM

@christielle. People are lazy. Always looking for a few good laughs and not having to exercise the brain too much. If that's what you want it's obvious you dine with Abbott.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:20AM

$10,100 to have diner with Tony $22,000 to have session with Joe etc etc no wonder why they don't appreciate the hardship of the rest of the community struggling to put together a $7 medical co payment.

Commenter

Mais51

Location

Sydney

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:36AM

Have you put in a bid to have dinner with your man crush? Here's your big chance.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:05PM

Who's christielle's man crush"?

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:16PM

David, the PM. And brazenly so. Surprised some comments have made it to print.Stay tuned, she's not shy.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 3:43PM

Yes, it is surprising that some comments make it to print, but when they do I'll sometimes make a comment as well.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 4:00PM

That there is a National TAFE Day just shows the extent to which governments, both federal and state, have tried, and nearly succeeded, to obliterate technical and further education around the country. National TAFE Day seems like Remembrance Day or Armistice Day when we solemnly gather to recall an event most of us have not experienced and only seen in old newsreel footage. That's what TAFE is at risk of becoming after successive governments have finished trying to destroy it on the battlefield of education.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:27AM

Abbott stated in parliament yesterday, “There have been no cuts.”

Is this Abbott speak like that of the carbon tax will send the economy into a tail spin. Or perhaps simular to 58 F35’s will only cost $12 billion to maintain and fly at $32,000 per hour each. We all know that a reduction adds up to a cut, and Abbott sense of the pedantic borders on lying, but where is Shorten et all in all this absurd truth twisting. Meanwhile the idiots literally throw mud at each other like inane children.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:22AM

Maybe it's the Opposition which is doing more truth-twisting. Announcing that pensions will be indexed to the cost of living starting well into the future is not a "cut". My pension will go on increasing unless someone gives me a fortune in the meantime. And as someone on close to the full pension, with a wife, I and she are doing pretty well for people on welfare. Some pensioners are indeed doing it tough, but large numbers are not.

Commenter

David Morrison

Location

Blue Mountains

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:08AM

Ah David - I think you would have to agree that the rate of increase is being cut as the movement in AWE has tended to be higher than the inflation rate

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:46AM

Ah, the famous "near future" Judith. Pollies use it when they are nervous. Try to go all gung ho but just pretend they're going at it in an organised and ordered manner, when in fact they are running scared. They know us folks are already thinking ahead to the next election.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:11AM

By the way, which one is Hacka?

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:07AM

She's inside the house helping Tony learn his lines

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:27PM

Will you please stop the inane hostility of reporting on field idiocies. Is it not bad enough that we have politicians making idiots of themselves elsewhere? You do realise that you are exposing the nation to ridicule do you? Thank God, Abbott was not there wearing budgies.

Commenter

Pen of hrba

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:04AM

You mean you only want transparency (to be informed about what the politicians are saying and in this case doing) when they are fully clothed?I second that.

Commenter

Lyn

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:39AM

The result? The result is that whatever game they play the country and people will be fooled by the result. Happens every time there is a game.

Commenter

Pluto

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 9:55AM

9:23. Assume Alex Hawke is playing on the right wing?

And who's that in the middle doing a quick wedding tackle stocktake?

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 9:40AM

eewww

maybe the stockings are giving him a rash?

Commenter

rod steiger

Location

toukley

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 9:52AM

If Hawke's on the right wing, where's Bernardi ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 9:55AM

Left right out? One can hope...

Commenter

Gigondas

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 10:19AM

The blue team definitely looks more united and cohesive.

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 9:35AM

Wheras the Ble Tie Boys do not - could not organise a piss up at the Members Bar

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:48AM

TBS - have you had a little pre-lunch tipple yourself ?

Commenter

Hacka

Location

Canberra

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 11:54AM

I don't need a tipple to be pissed at this Budget

Commenter

This Budget Stinks

Date and time

June 18, 2014, 12:08PM

What are they trying to demonstrate, how manly they are? Jokesters the lot of 'em. They might regard themselves as manly but as parliamentarians they certainly aren't gentlemen.